Kriechmayr Wins Wengen Downhill After Controversial Covid Ruling

Kriechmayr wins Wengen downhill after controversial Covid ruling

Wengen, Switzerland, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Jan, 2022 ) :Austria's Vincent Kriechmayr made the most of a controversial bending of the Covid-19 rules by alpine skiing's ruling body to win the men's World Cup downhill at Wengen on Saturday.

Kriechmayr denied Switzerland's Beat Feuz a fourth win on the mythic Lauberhorn slope by thirty-four hundredths of a second.

But the Austrian was only in the line-up after a crucial intervention by organisers the FIS.

After a positive coronavirus test the world downhill and super-G champion emerged from isolation on Wednesday, too late for training runs on Monday and Tuesday for the longest race of the World Cup season.

Taking part in the two warm-ups is obligatory to compete in the downhill races.

But Kierchmayr raced in Wednesday's super-G, finishing ninth and on Thursday night the FIS intervened and ruled he could start Friday's downhill where he came in 12th.

On Saturday, he prevailed with a time of 2min 26.09sec to beat Feuz and Italian Dominik Paris who came in third at .44sec.

Norwegian Aleksander Aamodt Kilde followed up Friday's win with 7th, .98s adrift.

The overall World Cup leader Marco Odermatt narrowly missed the podium finishing just .02s behind Paris in fourth.